Dead Days

Chapter One

Tough Questions

We're back with Remington! This starts not long after the last chapter left off. We get to see more into her relationship with her men and how things are starting to unfold there.

And we get to find out who this mysterious new person is!

I can't wait to show you what I have in store, but I do want to warn you that in later chapters things take a bit of a dark turn. The rating for this story is very fitting for this part. It's all in the flashbacks but there are triggering things in this story.

Cross my heart and hope for answers

To the questions burning inside

-Make me believe by The Everlove

Summary: Part Two of The Undead Series

After falling into her favorite TV show Remi is trying to hold it all together. More people have survived this time around, and she wants to keep it that way, only fate has decided to throw obstacles in her path, and Remington is left with devastating blows. Sacrifices are made. She's beginning to understand what it truly means to be a leader, but there aren't only hardships and stress she's undergoing. Relationships are changing and Remington is about to bind herself to those that show her that there's so much more to her than her past and that she deserves to be loved.

Or

Only you have the power to protect your peace. Remington and the gang come across far more than they expected when settling down with the Greenes. A fight to protect the farm from more than just Walkers emerges when a past danger shows its face.


Remington watched in utter fascination as her blood and the infected one mixed. Jenner had shown her what would happen if his own were to mix with someone who had turned. It hadn't been pretty. The cells rapidly changed, turning darker, before the familiar black gunk was left behind. Jenner wouldn't stand a chance if he was bitten.

She expected the same to happen with her blood.

Would that be the same fate she would meet one day? Waiting for cells to be destroyed and changed leaving behind a shell of herself to wander the world in turmoil forever?

The thought was terrifying.

Hovering behind Jenner she watched and waited. He carefully placed her blood in the dish before adding the infected sample. She couldn't see anything that was going on, could only rely on Jenner, and he was like a closed book as he focused on his task.

"Is it possible?" she asked, not managing to keep the question to herself as the emotions of uncertainty flooded her. This was important. Out of everything she had wanted to do for the group, to keep them safe, and change their fates, she never expected to be able to do it on this scale. "If I get bit, do I change?"

The possibility of being able to give them back a world, maybe not the one from before, but a true possibility of normality was far too tempting.

It would be devastating if this first test fell through. It was why she hadn't mentioned anything to the others. She didn't want to give them false hope. She couldn't do that to any of them.

Seconds passed by. Jenner stayed hunched over the sample, his muscles taunt, as he stared feverishly into the lens of the microscope.

Her fingers twitched at her side, drumming lightly against her leg, as she grew impatient. They had already spent the last hour readying everything, him showing her what happened to a normal sample, before finally moving on to hers. She suspected he had been putting it off, subconsciously not ready to know if she was another dead end or the potential for hope.

․° °․

Maisie saw the way her mother was physically in front of her except she looked like Shane and her Uncle Jack. Only it wasn't sadness on her face or a lost look, but one of worry, and wariness. Maisie had seen this same look on her mother's face countless times since the dead began to walk.

She reached out, touching her cheek, as she smiled softly, and brought her mother back.

Remington blinked, her eyes falling to where she had been supposed to be reading but had forgotten about.

"You stopped," Maisie said.

"Sorry," Remington apologized setting the book aside. She shifted to look easier down at her daughter while giving her a guilty glance. "I got lost in thought."

"Are you worried?" Tiny hands rubbed against Remington's cheeks soothingly.

"Mommy's just thinking about Merle and the others."

Maisie nodded. "I wish they were back."

"Me too."

Leaning down Remington kissed the top of Maisie's head as she hugged her tightly. Maisie happily accepted the affection as she snuggled into her mother's side. As Remington relished the moment between Maisie and herself there was a commotion coming from the direction of the elevators. Standing up she swung her daughter into her arms and followed the others toward the excitement. A small gathering had surrounded the first few who were filtering through.

She noticed it was mostly those who had been placed upstairs to keep a lookout for the group. Her heart surged as she realized that it could only mean the group had come back. If they were successful there would be no leaving tomorrow, Jenner would have more time for his tests and the group could live in safety.

Standing on her tippy toes she searched for the faces that she wanted to see. She carefully sidestepped Morgan, who had been a part of the waiting team upstairs, as she noticed one of the three faces she had been searching for. Maisie wrapped her arms securely around Remington's neck as the woman picked up her pace and without thinking pulled Shane into a hug.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked, pulling back just enough to be able to view him. She noticed a splattering of blood on his cheek. Reaching out, with the hand that wasn't supporting Maisie, she lightly cupped it, turning his head this way and that, to see if it was his, or a Walker's. "Are you okay?"

He reached out, lightly tugging at her hand, as he encased it in his own.

"I'm fine," he said. "We're all fine. Hit a tough spot there for a moment, but nothing happened." She sighed in relief and shifted Maisie as the girl began to struggle within her arms. She leaned over, hands reaching out, silently asking for Shane to hold her. Shane didn't deny her, easily taking her from Remington, as the woman began to search for the two others. Until she could physically see them, and touch them, she couldn't believe that they were fine.

"Where are the other two?"

"Remi," Shane started, tugging on the hand he still held. "Hold up a minute."

"Is Pixel with Merle still?"

"Slow down a second, darling." He tugged her to a stop, desperately trying to get her to pay attention to him so that he could explain. Only Remington was no longer paying attention. Her eye had caught sight of Merle, and the need to check on him next was all-engulfing, only as Merle rounded the corner, another figure followed after. She froze, her hand tightening around Shane's, as she stared wide-eyed at the new arrival.

"I'm trying to tell yah we ran into someone out there," Shane huffed, before growing concerned with her reaction. Had they brought someone bad? Was this the ex she had hinted at? Shane's gut feeling hadn't been of the sort after their first initial meeting. It was the only reason why they all had agreed to bring him back. Shane was loath to admit that the man had refused to give Pixel back without being brought with the group. It had settled wrong with him that he had seemed so desperate to get back to Remington.

In the end, the choice had been taken away from him.

Rick had agreed. Merle refused to leave the dog behind. They had fallen in line with his demands.

And now, he hoped they weren't going to regret it. He didn't want to bring Remington pain.

Her fingers slid from his grip as her lax form suddenly awakened. Remington's eyes were focused on the newcomer. Her heart was pounding violently inside her chest, as disbelief engulfed her senses, and her feet carried her forward.

Merle and Daryl turned, expecting her to leap toward them, Merle even preparing for it before she flew right past them.

She plowed straight into the warm body of Jackson. Warmth flooded her bones as happiness, and a mix of sadness consumed her. As her arms wrapped around his shoulders, he was lifting her off the ground, and spinning her around.

"Lil bit," he said, feeling relieved, and at peace. He set her back down on her feet, his cheek nuzzling into the top of her head, as he kept a tight hold around her. "You're here."

"I'm safe," she whispered. "Maisie's safe. We're safe." He pulled her back, hands clasped around her arms, as his eyes roved over her form looking for anything out of place. "Really, nothing has happened."

"What are you-," his question was cut off as a small body wiggled its way between the two of them and latched onto his legs.

"Uncle Jack!" He released Remington, his grip slackening as he knelt so Maisie could wrap her arms around him. Her head was buried in his chest as he encircled her into his embrace.

"Sunshine," he choked out. His eyes took in how healthy she looked, how happy, as if the world outside these walls didn't exist. He felt the tears pull in his eyes as he dragged Remington back into the embrace and buried his face between the two. The small family clung to one another, the welcoming bittersweet, as the two adults thought of those, they still yet to know the fate of. "I knew you two would be alive."

"Thanks to you and your training," Remington muttered.

They ignored what was outside their cocoon of familiarity and bliss. Neither noticed the way the others watched them, surprised, and confused at the scene they built. They had heard Remington had a brother but these days no one expected the family to be reunited. The Grimes had been a special case, seemingly rare, but this was in no way an unwelcome sight.

The knowledge that her brother was safe and here filled a hole in Remington's heart that she had been ignoring since the moment they had arrived in this universe. She had purposefully kept thoughts of her family at bay. Her brother had been overseas, and her parents were older, she had only hoped they didn't exist in this universe but knew it was unlikely. She could only wish that her parents were well and safe, and she had never expected to see her brother ever again.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "You were deployed."

"I don't know," he said, frowning. "It's all kind of hazy. I woke up in Atlanta, surrounded by the undead, with no knowledge of how I had gotten here."

Remington couldn't help but wonder how strange it sounded. Her brother, to her knowledge, had never had a case where he blacked out before. Especially not for how long it would have taken to find his way back to America. Instead of dwelling on it, she decided it would be a question for the future Remington to deal with, as she relished the moment between them.

"I should introduce you to the others," she said. Jackson pulled back, eyeing those around them, as he took in and filed away each of their faces. He had ignored the familiarity that their faces brought on when he first saw them. He had a mission and knew that Remington was nearby, she never would have left Pixel behind. He had only focused on getting to her. It had been his goal, but now, he was beginning to place these people.

He remembered them from his time at home. Remington had been obsessed for some time with a show. He remembered the dead walking in it. Those men he had run into and initially forced to bring him along had been important characters. He remembered that much but hadn't taken much interest in the show outside of what it meant to Remington. It had been a bonding moment, where he had escaped from his reality, and encased himself in the things his little sister loved.

He didn't trust them. He didn't understand what was going on or why Remington was with them. One had introduced himself as a Dixon, and Jackson had realized quickly that it wasn't the name of the man itself, but the character in the show.

Somehow, they had ended up in a fucked-up reality.

He didn't like it.

He had a new goal now that he had found Remington and Maisie. He would protect them and get them as far away from this death trap as he could.

As the plans formed in his head, Jackson was beginning to act. He stood to his feet, dragging Remington and Maisie up with him. He motioned for the dogs to come closer, and they obeyed just as easily as they would have if Remington had been the one to give the command. He had helped Remington with their training but had made sure that the bond they formed was with her and not him.

"Get your things," he said, his voice commanding. The authority in it left no questions but Remington wasn't one of his subordinates. She would follow him to the ends of the earth and would have his back, but at that moment, the realization of what he was getting at hit her hard.

"What?" she asked, pulling away from him, and dragging Maisie with her. She didn't want to leave these people. She didn't want to be separated from Merle, Daryl, or Shane in particular. She hadn't even been able to properly greet the first two. She had been far too caught up in seeing her brother again.

"Pack your things. We're leaving."

Shaking her head Remington took another step back. She had only ever said no to Jackson one other time. Had regretted it then, but this, she knew, was not a decision she would regret. She would not follow blindly behind her older brother as she had once done.

"We're not leaving. Where would we go, Jack?"

"Anywhere but here." He took a step forward, his hand shooting out to snatch at her wrist, far gentler than his actions spoke of, as he begged her with his eyes. "It's not safe around them." His voice had pitched lowly. "You know what happens."

"I don't care. I plan on changing that, to protect them, I'm not going to leave them." She yanked her head away from him. Her back straightened as she stared defiantly back at him. Jackson grew frustrated. He rubbed at the top of his head where hair had grown longer than he had worn it in years.

"Don't be stupid, Remington," he growled out. "You're coming with me and we're finding a safe place as far away from all this fucked up shit that we can. That's an order."

"You're not dad." She was showing a side of herself that hadn't been seen by Jack since she was a knuckleheaded teen who thought she knew her ass from her front. Except the doubt and unsureness were gone. She was a woman who knew what she wanted. He recognized the signs of a person with a mission. A leader.

He almost regretted the way he had guided her, using his time in the service to teach and shape her into a person who was confident, and powerful. He would have regretted it, except this was exactly what he had always wanted to see in her. It was just never supposed to be used against him.

"Dad's not here." He gritted his teeth. "Someone's gotta be in charge and you will listen to me, Remington Everly Michaels."

Remington drew in a sharp breath at the use of her full name. Her maiden name. Her face turned red, and her foot would have stomped if she had still been that little girl who had been trying to find her foothold in the world. That was not who she was anymore. She wouldn't throw a tantrum before falling into line just because he told her to.

Those watching this from the outside had begun to grow uncomfortable. Many had started to shuffle, debating about leaving, or sticking around for the rest of the show.

The three men who had grown close to Remington fell in line behind her when Jackson grabbed at her wrist, only falling back when Remington handled it. This may have been her brother, but it didn't stop them from looking for danger. They had her back regardless of who it was.

Jackson's eyes had flown to them, taking in the action, before classifying them as people of interest.

They had been the only ones to move when it had looked as if he would be a danger to them.

"Don't." She raised her hand, cutting off anything he could have said next, as she shook her head. "I'm not leaving. We're staying. I want that to include you, but I refuse to be bossed around about this. I love you, and I'm so happy that you're here, but if you're going to act like a dick then leave. Don't talk to me until you can respect my decision."

Grabbing Maisie's hand Remington turned on her heel and walked away. She pushed past the gawkers, only pausing briefly in front of the three men, handing Merle Maisie, as she grabbed at the other two. She needed to clear her head. That did not mean she was done checking on them. Her anxiety had only heightened with the argument with her brother, and she just needed to make sure they were all okay. As she came up to Landon, she took his hand gently into her own, letting go of Shane's, before pulling him along with them, back toward the shared room she had with the Dixons. She would take the time to cool off and decide if it was worth mentioning to the others what little Jenner had found out.

It wasn't a cure. It wasn't remotely close to a cure. She was hesitant to say anything at all as it currently didn't involve any of them, but she had felt the urge to share it with Merle, Shane, and Daryl.

Settling in for an easy afternoon with her kids, and the three men she had come to trust, Remington pretended that her brother wasn't hovering outside her door, or that the dead were walking, and that she had seen the amount of fuel brought back and it brought them less time than she had hoped. She pushed it all from her mind and focused solely on the children in front of her. Occasionally dragging one of the others into the little game they had started.

The kids eagerly soaked it up.

․° °․

Remington had only been able to keep the children with her for so long before they grew restless and ditched her. With the free time to think she began to feel guilt at the way she had treated her brother, and angry with how he had come in and decided he knew what was best for them. Jackson had always been the one that led between them. He told her to jump, and she would ask how high. She had looked up to him. Jackson hadn't just been her older brother, but her father and best friend all rolled into one. She had grown up with so much love and protection, but her brother had always taken it a step further.

She suspected it had to do with his time in the military.

That didn't mean she felt it was wise to back down. Remington had shown him what she wanted to fight for, and he would take it as a weakness if she backed down now. Michaels did not do weakness. Or that's how she had been taught.

Splayed across her cot Remington decided to hide out inside of the room for a while longer. She had long since suspected that Jackson had left, more than likely following after Maisie, as she played with Sophia. Remington hadn't needed to go ask where she had run off to so suddenly. Landon had trailed after her.

The door opening drug her from her rambling thoughts. Automatically her mouth opened to tell Jackson to fuck off, she hadn't quite calmed down enough to hear him out and would make sure her feelings were clear.

"Go away, Jack," Remington snapped, shifting to lift her head and throw a glare his way.

"Try again, sweet cheeks," Merle huffed as he strolled tiredly into the room. He had left shortly after Maisie, wandering off to do God knows what, before coming back. Pushing herself up onto her elbows she spotted the way his skin had paled, and sweat had built up at his brow, even though it was cool inside the building. He looked as if he was dragging himself as he walked across the room. His body almost seemed to sag into itself. As he came to a stop in front of his cot she caught the tired look in his eyes, and when he began to struggle to take his shoes off Remington pushed herself to her feet.

She slipped by Daryl who was sitting against the wall closest to Merle's cot. She was in front of Merle within moments, kneeling, as she grabbed at the boot on his foot.

"Let me help," she said softly. Silently she urged him to accept her help. He eyed her, as she waited for his answer, giving him an out, and making it known that she would back off if he asked. The moment she saw the way he gave in she tugged at his boot before moving on to the next one. "You shouldn't have gone today. You're still healing."

"Was needed," he mumbled as he continued to watch her closely.

"They would have been fine without you." She sighed, before standing and began to tug his shirt loose. "I don't want you hurting yourself." She didn't feel the gazes of the other two on her as they continued to watch in curiosity.

His eyes narrowed a bit at the action, but he didn't stop her.

"Needed ta go out and help. For yah and those kids. Don't want yah all back out there." Remington softened at his words as she smoothed her hands over his shirt, patting it, before continuing with what her mind had set out to do. To help him.

"I'm thankful to have met you, Merle." She thought back to the first time they had interacted. "To have met the three of you."

She hadn't realized that would have ever amounted to a friendship, or to the need to protect. She had only ever felt it toward certain people. Her brother. Her parents, and kids, but never toward someone outside her circle. Merle, Daryl, and Shane had been the first to ever make her feel this way. The group as a whole may never become that close to her, but they would always mean something to her. She would do whatever she needed to keep everyone alive.

Merle opened his mouth to respond to what she had said before the words froze in his mouth and he was gaping widely at her. Remington had moved to the buckle of his pants, unhooking it, before sliding it free in one swift movement. She dropped it beside his cot and gazed curiously at the look that tugged at his features.

Normally reading the emotions on a person's face was easy, but at that moment, she wasn't sure what Merle was feeling. His expression was haze filled as he watched her movements with carefully hooded eyes. She realized maybe she should have asked for permission before doing such an intimate thing, but Remington hadn't been thinking about it in that way. She had just been focused on helping.

She took a step away and smiled hesitantly up at him.

"Yah gonna do ta rest too, sugah?" he asked cheekily. Whatever he had felt melted away as fast as it had appeared, and then all that had been left was his normal joking attitude.

Her pulse raced at the question before she carefully calmed it down, willing her face not to heat up, as she shook her head, and smiled. She could not believe she had just done that in front of the other two.

"I think you can do the rest big guy," she said, as she began to turn around. "You should get ready. I'll go turn on the shower. Get it ready for you." Hurrying her movements, feeling embarrassed about what she had just done, Remington handed him a towel, stepped over Daryl, and ducked inside the bathroom.

Safely in the bathroom she freely allowed her cheeks to darken as she busied herself with warming up the water, knowing he could step in at any moment. She doubted they would allow her to ever forget that.

Behind her footsteps sounded deliberate, and heavy. She knew he could have easily softened them and snuck up on her, but Merle hadn't wanted to scare her. Remington kept her eyes averted away from him as she scooted out of his way. She noticed the flash of white, the towel, wrapped around his waist, and with a squeak of seeing him after he was done, Remington darted out.

She flopped onto the cot that she had taken up the use of and buried her face into her hands barely dodging Shane as he had taken up residence there. She ignored the way her legs draped over his own, telling herself he'd move if he was bothered and that this was her cot, and she could do as she pleased on it.

Where had any of that come from?

Merle would have been fine without her help.

Tired maybe, and worn out, but he could have managed. She was letting her feelings take over her actions.

What would have happened if she had made him uncomfortable? What about the others? How had they felt about it? Or was she looking too much into it? They probably had no opinions on it.

Groaning lightly into her hands Remington pushed herself back to her feet and decided since she had already embarrassed herself that she might as well go the full mile. She couldn't help the urge to want to help him. Or the others. She would just not think about it, remind herself she would have done this for any friend, and pretend that it wasn't exactly the truth. She had never done this with her friends from before the fall or before her marriage. She would have definitely never done this during her marriage.

Deciding not to think and to just do, Remington walked over to Daryl.

"All right, your turn," she stated. He glanced up, surprised, as his brows knitted together, and confusion overcame his face.

"What you talkin' about?" Daryl asked.

"I get a turn as well, vanilla?" Shane asked, his words almost taunting, daring. Her cheeks darkened at the fact they were thinking she was gonna help Daryl undress as well. She covered her eyes as she tried to focus on anything other than the teasing leaving Shane's mouth.

"No!" she mumbled through her hands. "That's not what I meant. I just want to check you over. Make sure you didn't exhaust yourself either." She let her hands drop as she straightened her shoulders. "Please, don't tease me." She heard Shane chuckle lightly before promising he would be nice.

Still looking uncertain and even a tad bit uncomfortable Daryl stood to his feet and hovered in front of her. He bit the tip of his thumb as he waited for her to do something. He wasn't sure what to expect. She reached out to turn his face so she could make sure there were no wounds of any kind. Then she stood on her tippy toes as she pushed his head forward, before letting go and moving to check his arms. He was helpless to stop her as she raised them and ran her fingers over the skin searching for breaks or bruises.

"I think I would have noticed if somethin' was wrong," Daryl muttered as he turned to chew on the inside of his cheek.

"Just let me ease my worried mind."

"Darling, I think I could use a once over," Shane complained, laying back against her blankets and pillows. "Starting to feel awfully crummy over here." Remington couldn't help the smile that slid onto her face as she finished with Daryl.

"Your safe," she said, sounding relieved that no one else came back in worst health. Turning toward Shane, she frowned at how comfy he had made himself on her cot. "I already checked you over, remember?"

"It's something new. Just hit me real hard." Even with the grin widening on his face, Remington would have known not to take him seriously. She rolled her eyes, swatting at him as she moved toward the bag next to the cot, and knelt down to rummage through it. Shane's hand reached out to tug playfully at a loose strand of her hair.

Remington didn't hear the water turn off, or when he entered the room, silently walking up behind her before his voice caused her to snap to a standing position, as she had been distracted.

"What are yah doin, darlin?"

"Looking for aloe." Her heart had started to race once again. Surrounded by these men, and the teasing, her pulse had gone haywire. She held the bottle close to her chest as she tried calming it back down. It was just Merle. Just Merle. And Shane was just Shane. "I wanted to help you. Your skin is irritated again."

"Hn." He turned and strode back over to his cot before sitting down. Then he patted the space next to him. Moving forward Remington leaned over him, deciding against sitting next to him, so she could make sure to get all of his skin. Gently she began to apply it to his face, her fingers sweeping across his skin, as she lightly massaged it into the burns from the sun. He leaned into her touch, sighing in relief at the coolness that leaked into his skin and how her touch felt. It caused his bones to melt, and his muscles to untense.

She noticed the way his hair had grown out and began to slightly curl around her fingers when she brushed them through them. As she glanced down at him, noticing the way he had closed his eyes, as he looked completely at peace, she was surprised to find him wearing a pair of sweats and an old wife beater. She didn't think she had ever seen him in something other than jeans. She wasn't sure how he had ever been comfortable enough to fall asleep in them those nights he would.

Stepping back, she allowed her hands to fall to her side before turning away and busing herself with putting the aloe back. Behind her, Merle and Daryl shared a look of mixed emotions. In shock at what she had done, but in awe at the care and tenderness she had shown him. Had been showing them.

"Thanks, sweetheart." She listened as the cot shifted under him and when she turned back around, he was lying down, staring up at the ceiling.

Without thinking over her actions, and just doing, Remington lowered herself to the floor, next to his cot, and leaned against the side of it. Her legs brushed against Daryl's as he had returned to his spot on the floor against the wall. She could feel Merle's arm pressed against her back as she sat there. Her legs raised and her chin rested comfortably against the top of her knees. Daryl's foot still brushed against her own and she found she didn't want to move it any further away from him. It was soothing to have them near her. For a second she wished Shane had been closer, only to push it out of her thoughts.

"Yah all right?" Merle asked, breaking the silence first. "That sure was a scene ta two of yah played out." Remington let out an annoyed snort as she curled into herself some more. She slid along the floor just enough to keep in contact with Daryl.

"He's just protective. It was wrong of him to assume that he could just come in here and order me around."

"He cares for yah."

"Yeah, but I don't need my big brother coming in and dragging me away to safety." She felt his arm press more firmly against her back. She couldn't tell if he had done it on purpose or had just been getting more comfortable.

"Yah gonna leave?"

She noticed the way the other two perked up at the question waiting for her answer.

She wondered if that was worry she could sense leaking into his voice but decided against it. There was no way he, or the other two, cared enough about whether or not she stuck around.

"No. I've got people that I don't want to leave." She sighed before leaning back, her head raising to glare up at the ceilings, as her hair brushed against the skin on his arm. It caused him to shiver.

Merle hoped she had placed him among those people. He had never wanted a connection to anyone outside of his brother but craved something fierce from her.

"What yah gonna do?"

"I'll talk to him. When I'm no longer pissed. I'll explain everything to him. He'll either accept it or he won't but either way he no longer gets to choose what I do."

"I think that's a good idea, sugah."

Smirking a bit, wishing to feel anything else, except for this frustration, Remington turned joking.

"You just don't want me disappearing."

"Yah caught me." They fell into silence. Remington felt at ease and could feel any annoyance over what had gone down earlier slowly disappear. That was until Merle spoke up once again. "Yah maiden name isn't Solace then. It's Michaels?"

She felt thrown off by the question and the way it had fallen from his mouth. Like earlier, she couldn't pinpoint exactly what the man was feeling or thinking.

"Yeah. I took the last name Solace after marrying."

"You never went back to Michaels?" Shane asked, speaking up. He had turned, still resting on her cot, but facing her.

A frown fell to her lips as she leaned forward, moving slightly away from Merle, so she could lay her head back down on her knees.

"I've been Solace for ten years. It's been such a part of me that when I was packing my things, and readying a lawyer to divorce him, the thought of changing it hadn't even occurred to me. It would have been part of the plan, but I just hadn't mentally gotten there yet. It flows off the tongue so easily, Remington Solace. I didn't think about it when introducing myself. Maisie knew nothing else." She shrugged. "It's just habit."

"Do yah still think about yerself like that?" Merle asked.

"Like what?"

"As his?" Daryl spoke up, answering for his brother.

Remington realized the conversation would deepen much like it had last night. They seemed to want to know everything about her, and Merle in particular felt the need to start with the hard questions.

"I'm my own person, no matter what name I decide to go by. I haven't been his for a long time."

"But you still go by it," Shane said, trying to understand. Remington frowned, hesitating before she spoke again, not sure why they felt the need to push this. She didn't understand why they sounded upset over it.

Daryl gently knocked his foot against her own dragging her from her thoughts.

"Why does it matter?" She could feel herself growing frustrated but tried to push it down. They were just asking a question. One that would have confused her too if she was in their shoes. Hadn't she had a similar conversation with Shane about Lori? "Solace is just a part of who I am. It just falls from my lips naturally. One day I may go back to Michaels, or maybe I'll go by something different. I don't know. The world isn't like it used to be. I could be anyone now."

Neither of them spoke. Merle wasn't sure why her going by her ex's name bothered him. He had seen the way it clicked on Daryl and Shane's faces too, and the same emotion seemed to have flickered within them.

It shouldn't matter, but for some god-awful reason, it mattered to him.

"My favorite color is green by the way."

He blinked in confusion as he shifted to lay on his side, facing her back.

"Whut?"

"You three always seem to ask the deeper questions. Never about anything simple. So, my favorite color is green, the shade of mint."

He clicked his tongue but filed away the simple piece of information that made up Remington. He knew the other two had as well.

"So, what happened out there?" she asked. "No one's told me yet."

"Well, sugah," Merle began, they had all decided to hold off on any other questions for now.


Many of you figured out it was her brother. I was pretty excited about bringing him in and showing the dynamics between the two. Her past with her brother is going to be slowly coming out, especially with how their first meeting started out. Their being at odds with one another is not an everyday occurrence and eventually, their relationship will settle!

I love Jacksons' character and have had so much fun incorporating him into the story. I hope you all enjoy him as well!